INSANITY workout - review

A couple of months ago, I began to hear whisperings - around SW London and beyond - of a workout so tough it left even regular marathon runners trembling in their trainers.

The INSANITY workout, which began as a DVD sensation, was created by Shaun T - a man so bulging with muscle that he makes Hercules look like Rodney Trotter (American, obviously...) - and pushes participants to their very limits to hone the body and improve fitness levels. 

INSANITY has now well and truly reached British shores, and as well as the DVD workout taking the UK by storm, live classes have been popping up nationwide to help us Brits battle the bulge.

The lovely Tanya got in touch with me back in July to let me know about classes starting in Putney, Fulham and Hammersmith, and asked me if I fancied coming along to a session to give it a go.

Her very kind invitation happened to coincide with my lovely boyfriend popping the question, so what better time to kick-start the bridal body regime and give something new a go?!

Off I trundled to St Mary's Church hall in Putney at 7pm on a Monday evening, completely clueless about the 'experience' that lay in wait.

Tanya reassured me on arrival that I would be absolutely fine, but several references to the need to 'dig deep' and '100% effort' had me thinking otherwise...

I was right.

INSANITY does exactly what it says on the tin. IT IS INSANE.

But, I LOVED it!

The website tells you with  confidence that 'you'll be dripping with sweat, you'll be gasping for breath, your heart will be pumping out of your chest, and you'll wonder if you can keep going'. 

They are absolutely spot on. 

INSANITY is a variation of high intensity interval training (HIIT); you get your heart rate up as much as possible through a series of high impact moves for two minutes at a time, with a 30 second recovery in between. 

Each class starts with a 'warm-up' to get your heart rate up, which consists of six different moves that are repeated three times.

As a fairly regular gym-goer and a big fan of cardio classes like Body Attack and Body Combat, I was flummoxed - to say the least - at having to indulge my inner dweeby asthmatic and reach for my puffer after just this section alone.

Once the warm-up had really gotten the blood pumping, it was just a 30 second break before we were into the first of three 'blocks' of interval training. 

Starting with more cardio (god help me) before moving onto balance & agility and strength, each block consisted of four moves of 30 seconds each, followed by a 30 second recovery period.

For each move, there's a lower intensity option you can take if you're really struggling. I was reassured to see that even the super fit members of the class were resorting to these every once in a while (phewph). 

As Tanya encouraged us from the front of the room, it's all about how many reps you can do and keeping perfect form & technique. So long as you're working at 100% effort, it doesn't matter whether it's the higher or lower intensity option that you're taking. 

By the end of block three I thought I might quite possibly keel over / vomit / cry, but I just about managed to make it through to the final abs and stretching sections.

After a much needed towel down and glug of water, I even mustered the strength for one last diamond jump for a picture. (In the bright pink).

It may have been the most difficult workout class I've ever done, but it was also the most rewarding. Afterwards, I was knackered, but buzzing! 

Six weeks down the line and I'm just about to sign up for another batch of classes, having completed my fifth week of INSANITY workouts on Monday.

I've certainly slimmed down as a result, and - according to my heart rate monitor - am burning up to 650 calories in each 50 minute class!

Tanya is currently running three classes each week:

Putney: Monday, 7pm, St Mary's Church Hall

Hammersmith: Thursday, 7pm Westside School

Fulham: Wednesday, 7pm, Vanstone Place Community Hall

Give it a go, SW6ers - it's a workout unlike any other!

Plus, your first class is only £5!

For more information, check out the website: http://www.londoninsaniacs.co.uk/ or send Tanya an email: londoninsaniacs@gmail.com 

Smiling wide in W6

We hate to start with a cliché, but people do tend to dread the dentist. Personally, I’ve never experienced a serious case of the fear, per se (I’m a good girl and I brush twice daily –although I’m sure I eat too many sweets and despite repeated attempts at scaremongering by my dentist I don’t floss as much as I should), and in fact I quite enjoy the whizzing, whirring, polishing and squeaky-clean-ness of it all. But I think it’s fair to say we do all dread a few choice phrases such as “Oooh [insert faux-concerned expression], I think that one might have to come out”, and “Nurse, pass me the drill”... (OK that last one was made up, has that ever happened in real life??)

But, a girl’s got to look after her pearly whites, right? Whether you’ve been through the teenage hell that are train-tracks or not, we all know deep down teeth are worth investing time in, even if it’s not as exciting as looking after your hair or nails. You only get one set. They can pretty much make or break your snogging hit-rate (shallow or not, I’d turn down a kiss from someone if their teeth were disgusting) and when they go wrong, it ALL goes wrong. Anyone who has sprouted wisdom teeth knows how much hell they can cause.

So, sexy or not... this one’s an ode to a dentist. Albeit, a dentists’ practice with slightly raised sexy stakes.

K2 Dental on the Fulham Palace Road has treated celebs (Zaki Kanaan specialises in cosmetic dentistry and the especially Dental Implants – rumour/their website has it that Jermaine Jackson and Sophie Anderton have dropped in for cosmetic procedures) and won a host of awards. However, the one that most caught my eye – amongst the usual accolades for safety and excellence – was a plaque declaring their place in the Shortlist of Britain’s Most Attractive Dental Practices! And attractive it is... with mahogany side boards, colourful yet tasteful art adorning the walls and cleverly hiding air conditioning units, a beautiful spiral staircase and decorative mirror sets around reception. Inside the practice rooms, the theme continues, and the technology is impressive. My favourite added extra had to be the screen which was suspended in front of the patient’s chair which the dentists could ‘flick’ images onto for you to see – showing somebody the inside view of their teeth, plaque and all, magnified around a foot from their face is a pretty effective tactic, trust me!

As for the consultation, my dental and hygienist appointment with Dominique Kanaan (again, a rather more glamorous individual than the dentists I am used to) was anything but scary. My initial assessment went beyond the usual questions such as do you smoke (no I don’t, *smug face*) and how many units of alcohol a week you consume (*not so smug now*) and actually went down to a deeper level around health issues, both personal and those that run in the family, and how those can affect your teeth, as well as your general well-being. Dominique was sure to explain what she was looking for at each check, what the potential results could mean for my teeth, and that photo-screen proved a real winner in showing me a little bit of what she was seeing to help drive the point home. All feedback was delivered with a smile and a helpful (and crucially, easily applied) remedy – she even assessed my brushing style and current dental product repertoire, recommending easy substitutes where possible.

The hygienist appointment was choc full of all my favourite bits of dentists’ magic. There were sprayers, scrapers, polishers, mirrors, whizzy things and plenty of splashing water. I’d honestly liken it to a deep facial for your teeth and it’s amazing to sit back for 30 minutes and let someone really make sure your teeth are the cleanest they’ll ever be! So there’s a feeling of pampering, coupled with extreme relief that all the yucky bits you’d seen on the aforementioned in-mouth photograph were no longer there! Trust me, no matter how good you think you are about brushing... a hygienist appointment is a must, and if you don’t mind the sound of metal on teeth, actually rather enjoyable. Dominique was also really helpful in answering any questions I had about cosmetic procedures, but without pushing anything at all. In fact, when I was asking about teeth whitening, she actively encouraged me to pursue the cheaper at-home option which only involved an initial consultation appointment, rather than return visits for in-salon treatment.

It’s great to know your dentist is approachable and human, and Dominique and Zaki Kanaan could not be further away from the drill-wielding stereotype. In fact, the couple bring a lot of character to the practice. They’ve bungee jumped, sky dived and for their latest venture they’re hoping to raise £6,000 for charity Bridge2Aid by climbing Kilimanjaro later on this year. If anyone can make dentistry a bit more sexy and exciting.. it’ll be these two!

K2 Dental

218 Fulham Palace Road

London W6 9NT

0207 386 5587